Questions and Answers
Religious Ritual is an agreed-on formalized pattern of ceremonial movements and verbal expressions carried out in a sacred context; found in every human community and are a primary means of social communication and cohesion. If a symbol is a meaningful sign, this can be called a significant _____
action
What is a mantra?
sacred chant; sounds of more than one syllables
What are rites of passage?
ceremony or event marking important stage in someone's life
Liminal Stage is the transitional stage between pre-ritual status and post-ritual status; it represents ____________
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What is communitas?
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What does tonsure signify?
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What is a social puberty rite?
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What is Bar Mitzvah?
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What is a life crisis rite?
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What is an exorcism?
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What is the New Year (Akitu) Festival?
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What is propitiation?
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What does expiation mean?
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What is the significance of a scapegoat?
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What is Yom Kippur?
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What is a sacrament?
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What is a seasonal and calendar rite?
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All the organs function together to maintain the whole; society is like ______________.
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What are rituals of initiation?
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Rituals can help to resolve ___________ due to the scarcity or the arbitrary distribution of life's material goods.
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The act of _________, removing individuals from their old status.
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The ___________ stage, frequently marked by some form of social isolation and a condition of status-lessness.
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The __________ stage, signaling the passage to a new status.
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What are vocational initiation rites?
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What is an example of a vocational initiation rite?
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What are life crisis rites?
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What is the significance of marriage and funeral rites?
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The 'leases on life' follow a more or less uniform structure that are described in terms of four principle movements: First comes the rites of _________ symbolizing when one lease of life has drawn to a close and the next is not yet assured.
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Second comes rites of __________ where the community seeks to rid itself of all noxiousness and contagion and of all evil influences.
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Third comes rites of __________ where the community attempts to procure that new lease of life.
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Last comes rites of __________ which speaks their sense of relief when the new year has begun and the continuance of their own lives is thereby assured.
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Broadly speaking, all religious ritual is sacramental in that it concerns the presence of the sacred or holy. Sacraments make use of _________ things - words, gestures, and objects - for a _________ purpose.
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_______________ are not only performative, but also ________. This action must be undertaken periodically at certain specified times of the season, the life cycle, or the liturgical calendar.
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Study Notes
Religious Rituals
- Formalized actions and verbal expressions in a sacred context found in every human community.
- Serve as a means of social communication and cohesion.
- Can be viewed as significant symbols.
Mantras
- Sacred chants consisting of sounds that have more than one syllable.
Rites of Passage
- Ceremonies or events marking significant stages in a person's life.
Liminal Stage
- Transitional phase between pre-ritual and post-ritual status.
- Represents an 'antistructure' where normal social order is temporarily suspended.
Communitas
- Spontaneous bond among members of a society.
- Viewed as holy because it transcends social structures and institutional norms.
Tonsure
- The practice of shaving one’s head to signify admission into a religious order, commonly associated with monks.
Social Puberty Rites
- Ceremonies indicating the transition from asexual childhood to adult society, marked by the differentiation of sexual roles.
Bar Mitzvah
- A Jewish ceremony on a boy's 13th birthday signifying his acceptance of religious responsibilities.
Life Crisis Rites
- Rituals aimed at addressing specific crises impacting individuals or communities.
Shamans
- Religious professionals with special powers to interact with the supernatural.
- Undergo rigorous initiations to gain control over spirits for healing and spiritual journeys.
Exorcism
- The ritual of expelling evil spirits through special methods or invoking holy names.
New Year (Akitu) Festival
- An ancient Mesopotamian spring festival celebrated by the Babylonians.
Propitiation
- Act of appeasement, such as reciting prayers for favor before events like games.
Expiation
- Act of making amends; represented by symbols like a goat sent into the desert bearing the community's sins.
Scapegoat
- A goat sent away after a Jewish priest symbolically places the sins of the people upon it.
Yom Kippur
- The holiest day in the Jewish calendar, dedicated to atonement.
Sacrament
- Christian acts regarded as visible signs of divine grace, such as baptism.
Seasonal and Calendar Rites
- Rituals linked with natural life cycles including seasonal changes, related to agriculture.
Organism Metaphor
- Society is compared to an organism where various parts function together to sustain the whole.
Rituals of Initiation
- Examples include baptisms and Bar Mitzvahs that signify entry into new social or religious roles.
Social Tensions and Duties
- Rituals help resolve social tensions caused by resource scarcity.
- Rituals define social roles and articulate communal beliefs and behaviors.
Common Pattern in Rites of Passage
- Rites typically consist of three stages: separation, liminal stage, and reintegration.
Vocational Initiation Rites
- Ceremonies for elite groups, demonstrating special knowledge or spiritual abilities.
Marriage and Funeral Rites
- Reflect the stages of life, with engagements serving as a limbo stage and funerals indicating separation.
Four Principal Movements of Life Rites
- Mortification: Signifies the end of one lease of life.
- Purgation: Community cleanses itself from negative influences.
- Invigoration: Attempts to secure a new lease of life.
- Jubilation: Community expresses relief upon entering a new phase.
Nature of Sacred Rituals
- Religious rituals utilize temporal elements for spiritual purposes, encapsulating the connection between the sacred and mundane.
Sacramental Rites
- Characterized by repetitive performance at designated times, maintaining meticulous accuracy in execution and representing sacred patterns of behavior.
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Explore key terms from Chapter 5 of your Religious Studies textbook. This quiz features flashcards that help reinforce essential concepts such as religious rituals and mantras. Perfect for studying or review before your next exam!